4A the university daily kansan
opinion
wednesday, august 27, 2003
Free for All
Call 864-0500
Free for All callers have 20 seconds to speak about any topic they wish. Kansan editors reserve the right to omit comments. Slanderous and obscene statements will not be printed. Phone numbers of all incoming calls are recorded.
For more comments, go to www.kansan.com
Thank you, KU. I have graduated, don't have a job and still live in Lawrence. I am standing here at Johnny's drinking a beer, but I still support the Free For All.
You know what I just realized? My roommate has 9 1/2 toes. That's not normal.
There is a guy with a fire extinguisher that is about to find himself castrated. I am serious. I am an RA and I am not going to put up with this crap.
Hugh Hefner is the man
There wouldn't be an opportunity if everyone could do it.
Do you think the Little Mermaid is hot?
Ariel, oh yeah. Jasmine from *Aladdin* is
sexy.
图
All of those living in the scholarship halls complaining about their laundry should stop. I pay 75 cents per load at McColum. You really should stop.
It is all of the U.P.T.M.M.L.S. The Universal Plan to Make My Life Suck.
There is no such thing as too many, stupid.
Why do I keep seeing hot girls on the Family Channel?
You'd think that for the price they charge for the student sports tickets, they would at least put up signs where to go.
I love KU, the fall and women. Hell, I love KU women in the fall.
-
I am trying to do the crossword right now and I can't because the solutions are on the bottom of the page. Does that make sense? No.
图
This is for the person who obviously didn't get into the greek house of their choice. I am really sorry and I hope that pistol-whipping monkey thing works out for you.
Does anyone else think that coach Mangino looks like the Kool-Aid man when he wears his red T-shirt?
I am watching this Kansas football game from 1992. I realized this old-school Jayhawk looks like Woody Wood Pecker with Down's syndrome in yellow cowboy boots.
It has been so hot lately. I swear that the earth's inner core has decided to temporarily trade places with the outer crust.
Our house is infested with crickets, and KU Info could not tell us whether or not crickets bite. So could someone tell us if they do or not?
I woke up this morning and there wasn't any running water in the dorms. I walk to class and all of the sprinklers on campus are running fine. Thank you, KU.
Where the hell did all of these crickets come from?
Has anyone else ever noticed that the pulp in orange juice looks like baby crab legs?
I think I smoked four cigarettes today as I walked by Wescoe Beach.
I am not wearing my jean shorts to impress you, buddy. They get the job done, don't they?
stinson's view
Zach Stinson for The University Daily Kansan
Profiling needed for airport security
perspective
A G.I. Joe action figure toting a miniature gun through the Los Angeles International Airport was recently detained. After having his weapon confiscated, he was allowed to proceed with his young owner, a small boy who could not be reached for comment.
Remarkably, G.I. Joe remained completely stoic and unyielding even as airport security pried his weapon out of his masculine plastic hands. If this story strikes you as a little ridiculous - and it actually did happen - realize that it is not a great deal less sensible than what goes on every day under the guise of airport security, specifically random searches.
Random searches at airports are a perfect example of a politically correct measure that would be laughable were it not so time-consuming and potentially deadly. The only real purpose random searches serve is to assist airlines in deflecting spurious accusations of racism and bias.
Random searches treat the prevention of terrorism as a sort of crapshoot, where employing trained profilers is no more effective than playing "eeny, meany, miny, moe." Terrorism and crime simply do not configure themselves along evenly distributed, politically correct lines. And confiscating nail clippers from little old ladies has not made anybody safer.
has not made any absences
According to the Sept. 25, 2001
Atlantic Monthly, Arab or Muslim males were responsible for 100 percent of successful terrorist attacks on commercial airlines in the last twenty years, and, of course, the infamous Sept. 11 attack, as well as numerous smaller-scale attacks.
It is undeniable that in the Arab world there exists a radically violent minority bent on the terrorism and destruction of Western civilization.
So committed in fact are these terrorists that they are willing to lose their own lives in the process. I am not suggesting that it has always been this way or that it always will be, nor am I suggesting that there are not many lovely, peaceful Arab and Muslim people (I know several myself).
However, it is accurate and fair to say that for the time being, security personnel should devote extra scrutiny to Arab and Muslim males. It was not a coincidence that 15 of the 19 Sept. 11 terrorists were from Saudi Arabia and the other four were from various countries located in the Middle East.
Racial profiling is a rational and more effective approach than random searches. Many people believe that racial profiling is unconstitutional and racist. It is neither. There is no constitutional "right" to have ethnicity disregarded by law enforcement. In the 1975 Supreme
COMMENTARY
Arrah Nielsen opinion@kansan.com
The only people who would understandably oppose racial profiling in airports are terrorists themselves. Racial profiling is not about racism or unfair discrimination; it is about protecting people's lives. Most people of any ethnic or racial persuasion care about their own
Court case United States vs. Brignoni-Ponce, the court noted, "The government has estimated that 85 percent of the aliens illegally in the country are from Mexico." As such, the court ruled that the "Mexican appearance" of a car's occupants was enough reason for border police to stop the car in order to search for illegal aliens.
If racial appearance can be used to protect Americans from the dire threat of one more Mexican working construction illegally, why can't it be used to stem the very real and grave threat of homicidal terrorists using passenger planes as missiles?
lives and those of their loved ones and thus they should be supportive of measures such as racial profiling.
Racial profiling of suspected hijackers in airports is fundamentally different from using racial profiling in other situations. Pulling over African-American males in wildly disproportionate numbers should be condemned because drug smuggling does not put civilian lives in imminent danger. Nor do African American males comprise 100 % of drug smugglers. Racial profiling in this context can only do more harm than good by fostering resentment and distrust among a minority group that historically has experienced ill-treatment in the justice system.
perspective
It is unfortunate that innocent people will be inconvenienced and delayed in their travels. But it is necessary. The Department of Transportation should be lambasted for bowing to special- interest groups at the expense of national security. The lives of innocent civilians are infinitely more important than some fuzzy notion of political correctness. Racial profiling in airports is one of several measures that must be taken to ensure saner and more effective airport
Nielsen is an Andover senior in anthropology.
Contact congressional representatives to make financial aid work for you
Financial aid recipients should be aware that the agenda for the upcoming congressional session contains a very important appropriations issue to be considered right after the Labor Day holiday. As tuition increases continue and state aid declines, students may need to act right away to ensure that their interests receive consideration.
interests receive college credit. Next week, the Senate is expected to take up the fiscal year 2004 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education appropriations bill, section 1356. This bill will keep funding for Title IV financial aid programs at current FY03 levels. The House is also expected to keep funding at FY03 levels. While this is good news in a time of Washington belt-tightening, the reality is that without any increase in federal financial aid support, many students will find it harder to afford college when expected tuition increases happen next year.
There is an amendment being offered, however, by Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) to increase funding for many federal aid programs. This amendment may be the
only opportunity for students to see an increase in aid next year. This amendment must be accepted by the Senate for any aid increase effort to move forward. Even then, there will be other hurdles to overcome.
Here are two examples of what the Kennedy Amendment would do: Kennedy proposes to raise the maximum Federal Pell Grant from the current $4,050 to $4,500. A $450 increase would help our neediest students.His proposed amendment would also restore money to a state matching grant program that helps support the Kansas Comprehensive Grant. This money helps stretch state appropriations. Without a matching federal grant, state legislators may not see the benefit in continuing current funding for this state program.
Chris Johnson opinion@kansan.com
GUEST COMMENTARY
As you know, Congress has many factors to consider when working with appropriations. To increase levels in one program might mean reducing levels in another. Party politics also comes into play when allocating your federal dollars (Kennedy is a Democrat, Kansas
senators are Republican). Special interests are on location in Washington to influence decisions.
Financial aid recipients, however, are in school and can't hover outside a legislator's office. What can they possibly do?
The answer is simple. Students must contact their congressional representatives by phone or by e-mail. They must do it this week. Contacts of this sort by a large number of students may be the only way to overcome party politics and the power of special interests. Only a widespread outpouring of support will ensure that the Kennedy Amendment survives.
I am in favor of increasing federal financial aid grant programs to help
Whatever students decide to do, I encourage them all to pay attention this year to all happenings in Washington that pertain to financial aid. Reauthorization of the Higher Education Act is also on the congressional agenda. Reauthorization impacts financial aid programs for six years, so students should watch carefully to ensure their interests are considered. Contact senators this week at www.senate.gov. House representatives can be reached anytime at www.house.gov.
ensure access for the neediest students in our country. If students agree with this and want to see federal grant programs increased, they should contact their state senators this week to encourage approval of the Kennedy Amendment. This may be their opportunity to make this happen next year.
Johnson is the associate director at KU Office of student financial aid and the president of the kansas association of student financial aid administrators